


Day 22 - Wedding Bell Blues

by moonblossom



Series: Pre-Nickels Nickels 30 Day Challenge [22]
Category: Cut & Run - Madeleine Urban & Abigail Roux
Genre: Cold Feet, M/M, Misunderstood Jealousy, Nerves, Wedding
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-22
Updated: 2014-10-22
Packaged: 2018-02-22 05:53:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 949
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2496872
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/moonblossom/pseuds/moonblossom
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What kind of a best man doesn't want to see the groom go through with it?</p>
<p>
  <a href="http://wintergrey.dreamwidth.org/15168.html">Day 22: A Wedding</a>
</p>
            </blockquote>





	Day 22 - Wedding Bell Blues

_"You'll be my Best Man, right?"_ Kelly's words echoed in Nick's head, painful and heavy, drowning out even the pounding pain rattling around his skull and creeping down his neck.

He was covered in questionable bruises and strange marks all down his throat. He thought he remembered them coming from that stripper, Jazmine or Bambi or whatever the fuck her name was. Something to do with a Disney movie. She'd donated a thoroughly alarming number of sequins for Kelly's tux, and had somehow ended up in Nick's lap for the bulk of the evening.

Now, the morning later, Nick was doing his best to look decent. He knew Kelly didn't have a hope in hell, not after the state they'd left him in, so at least he'd do his job and stand next to his best friend. Stand there and look neat and try to be the responsible one.

He glared at his reflection in the mirror, finished shaving, and shrugged into his suit before going to kick Kelly out of bed.

For a moment, he debated shouting at him, shocking him into action, but Kelly's face was soft and sleepy, his hair sticking out around his head like a messy halo. Nick just wanted to wrap him in a blanket and keep him safe and protected forever, but that was absurd. They were grown men, and Kelly was about to embark on the rest of his life. Nick frowned and gripped Kelly's shoulder, shaking him gently.

"Get up, Doc. Time to go throw yourself into the fire one more time."

Kelly groaned and buried his face in his pillow. With a sigh, Nick hefted him up and steered him in the general direction of the shower.

Once he was certain Kelly was awake enough not to drown, he headed back to finish getting ready. He tried to ignore the sounds of Kelly banging around, cursing, mumbling to himself as he got out of the shower and headed into the spare room to get his jacket and tie.

As Nick headed past Kelly's room, his voice carried out into the hall, wavering and uncertain.

"Nick?" Kelly looked up at him, eyes wide and earnest. They were a strange colour today, stranger than usual. A cool steel blue, at odds with his hopeful expression.

"Hm?" Nick leaned into the room, fussing idly with his tie. Kelly was sitting on the edge of the bed in his shirtsleeves, ridiculously shiny jacket off to one side. Nick uttered a silent prayer, because it was clear Kelly had something important to ask and there was no way he'd be able to take it seriously if he'd been wearing it.

"What's up? Getting cold feet?" He tried to sound teasing, but his voice came out flat and Kelly winced slightly.

"Am I making a mistake?"

_Yes. Yes yes yes!_ Nick ignored the voice in his head. Ignored the flare in his chest, the monster that kept screaming that Kelly was his, that she didn't deserve him. He didn't understand where the urge was coming from; he loved Kelly, wanted him to be happy. He tried to keep his face as impassive as he could.

"Do _you_ think you're making a mistake?"

Kelly frowned. "Stop doing that, that thing where you turn someone's question around on them."

Nick sighed and crossed the room, sitting heavily on the bed next to Kelly.

"Kels..." He sighed, reaching out and absently stroking Kelly's knee. "I'd ask if you'd thought it through, but..."

Kelly snorted, a half-smile playing on his lips. "When do I ever think anything through?"

"My point exactly. Do you love her?"

Kelly nodded and smiled, but something about it felt rehearsed. Or maybe Nick was just projecting. "Yeah, I do."

"You know I'm the wrong person to be asking about this sort of commitment, right?" Nick had managed to convince himself the weight of apprehension on his shoulders was merely his gut reaction to the institution of marriage in general. He ran a hand through his hair, trying to block out the humming in his ears and the strange sense of dread in his stomach.

Impulsively, Kelly leaned forward and wrapped his arms around Nick's waist. Startled, Nick returned the hug, gripping Kelly tightly. For a brief moment, everything felt normal again.

Kelly felt right in his arms. Solid and whole and warm. He squeezed, lingering on the contact maybe a little longer than friends should, but Kelly didn't seem to mind.

"Thank you," Kelly murmured, his voice muffled against Nick's shoulder.

"For what?" Nick's fingers dragged up and down Kelly's back before finally letting go. He smiled as Kelly stood up, eyeing his bedazzled jacket with distaste.

"Listening, I guess. Being here."

Nick shrugged. He wasn't sure he'd been terribly useful, and truth be told a huge part of him was still considering grabbing Kelly and running off with him to save him the inevitable disaster that was coming. He tamped down the irrational thought yet again, trying to smile.

"Where else would I be?"

Kelly stared into his eyes and Nick couldn't look away. The air between them was heavy and fraught with something alien. Eventually Nick had to pull away, before he said anything he knew he'd regret.

"Come on, babe. Let's go give you away."

Kelly snorted. "You can't get rid of me _that_ easily, O." He shrugged into his sparkly jacket and threw an arm around Nick's shoulders. "Besides, who else is gonna come rescue me if things go south?"

"So I'm stuck with you?" Nick tried as hard as he could to sound disappointed, but there was a spring in his step as they headed out to the ceremony.


End file.
